Continuing on the Road
less traveled!
Despite our longing to
stay and enjoy this wonderful anchorage, we had been waiting for a weather
window to make our passage to the Yasawa Island chain. Typically this is done by transiting the
Bligh Waters.
As the name suggests…there
is something less than desirable about this passage. It is an area of very deep water rising
rapidly to reefs in a bottle neck on the western end that with any wind at all
becomes a stretch of very uncomfortable seas.
There is however, the path less traveled…Uncharted waters no less. This route from Yadua Island to the north end
of the Yasawas was only 53 miles…but just long enough to make a full days sail
at 6 knots of 9 hrs. This doesn’t sound
to bad…however, leaving and arriving thru reef infested waters demands good
light on both ends to see the hazards…that can be difficult to find over a 9
hr. period.
Despite the chosen
route being thru uncharted waters…we were quite certain from what information
we had that our prevailing depth was 100 ft. and with good light we would see
any ‘hot-spots’…shoals, rocks, reefs, disturbed water etc. that we needed to
avoid.
The day was lovely, the
sun was shining, and winds were light and the passage pleasant. We finally hit the Bligh waters about noon…perfect
to see any shoals on either side of the Yalema Kalou Passage (Round Island
Passage). This route ensured the least
amount of time transiting the Bligh…only 6 miles from side to side. We were thru and no sooner had we turned
south when we hooked a small Sierra (Mackerel) reward enough for dragging the
line.
We continue on to our
intended anchorage appropriately name Champagne Beach. It lived up to its name…sandy bottom, good
holding, and a white sand beach that stretched for miles.
Unfortunately for us,
the weather changed and brought brisk south winds into this open road-stead. This made for a rather rolly
uncomfortable anchorage and we decided to head for ‘The Caves’.
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